In between the lines
by Tashenka
Summary: Mamori started noticing new developments in her relationship  of sort  with Hiruma; things started changing and none of them knew how to deal with it... Just a backstage manga story. Warnings: A lot of spoilers
1. Prologue: Incomplete

Disclaimer: I do not own anything about Eyeshield 21; this is just a fanfiction

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Mamori found herself standing in front of her closet once again realizing that she had nothing to wear. Not that she didn't have lots of cute outfits or (dare she think) sexy combinations that revealed absolutely nothing but left very little to one's imagination, it was just that lately a stray thought kept creeping its way into her mind… She couldn't help but wonder…

_Will he like it?_

Never in her life had the sight of the open closet doors been so tiring. It used to be so easy: just to pull out three or four things that caught her eye and all that mattered was that she felt comfortable wearing it. She shook her head at her foolishness; to think that he actually gave a damn, but at the same time felt confused about the way he had been eying her lately, from head to toe… He was definitely checking her out; she could tell that much.

Her thoughts were distracted when she saw that little denim skirt she loved to wear but didn't quite get the chance often enough. _Right, also that top would look great with it, and I can finally wear those new white boots I bought on sale last week_. With that and her brand new hair-cut, she was now finally ready to face the Kanto tournament draw.

For her, it was impossible to determine the moment when it all started happening. When was it that he openly started to show that kind of interest in her? If she had to bet on it, she would say it happened during the game against the Kyoshin Poseidon. There may have been some signs earlier, but they were skillfully camouflaged in a way only he could pull off; therefore, she would definitely bet everything on the moment he understood the message she was trying to send. The look on his face, the expression of shock, of the utter amazement…and then that insane grin of his he sent her way.

_Yeah; he definitely started acting stranger and stranger after that_.

It was never done openly so she couldn't judge it properly, but there were times when she could feel his eyes on her, like she was being closely watched; it always happened in the silence, while she was doing the paperwork that was always excessive. In the corner of her eye, she definitely caught his observant stare over the glowing laptop screen. At first she thought she was imagining things and that he was probably thinking something over, developing a new strategy or, B-option, some crazy scheme to blackmail someone and gain a new slave for his dark reign.

A few weeks had passed since the Kanto tournament draw and it started to bother her and she found herself unable to focus on all the work and statistic facts in front of her so she angrily decided to confront him about it. All she foolishly did was lock her eyes with him and all the anger she felt evaporated into the thin air. There was just something in his eyes; something she couldn't quite place or describe; so foreign yet so inviting at the same time, and it just took her breath away.

When she realized she was staring for God knows how long (and remembered how to breathe) she mumbled jadedly, "Coffee."

He just raised one of his eyebrows at her, and before he was able to comment on anything she quickly cut him off:

"I'm going nowhere with these numbers, it's been a long day and coffee might do the trick. Should I make some for you too?"

He made one of his "Tch-s" and started typing away on his laptop replying, "Whatever, fucking manager."

"Mou, Hiruma-kun, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?" she glared at him for a brief moment and went to the coffee machine, feeling relieved that she was able to escape a very disturbing twist of things. She only heard "Kekekeke" over her shoulder as the discussion ended. Their day went on as usual: preparing for the upcoming game with the notorious Shinryuuji Nagas.

Hiruma on the other hand was not relieved by all this, but he kept quiet because there was actually a lot of work to finish before calling it a day (plus the coffee indeed was a great idea to recharge his batteries), so he let the matter drop. He'd been thinking about the way the damn manager managed to capitalize his free time, and it, of course, pissed him off. Therefore, in his mind, not doing small talk with her just now was a very mild way of getting even for that, even just a little.

She appeared to be on his mind a lot lately; he went as far to start strategizing about ways to approach her, to let her know he was interested in her in a way which had no connection to amefuto whatsoever. He watched her plotingly and often realized he had been staring for far too long; like what happened just now. Watching her made him start noticing things about her, things he used to never paid attention to… like the way she would genuinely smile to their teammates to encourage them, the goofy smile she had when the work was done, the intense look she had when editing video records and how slowly her hand would move across her forehead to get the stray bangs out of her way, the way she would worryingly eye the clubroom before leaving, making sure everything was clean and tidy.

Hiruma found himself particularly enjoying the way curiosity would fill her ever blue eyes when she listened to him speak about a new strategy, or the daring though a bit unsure look, when she suggested something new to him or wanted his opinion on something. Then there was the way her cheeks got red with furry when they fought, oh, and how he loved the hedonistic and predator-like way she ate her damn creampuffs… Yeah, he noticed a lot nowadays.… '_Fucking manager_,' making him waste his time thinking about her when he should be focusing all his time and efforts on upcoming game with Nagas… and to make matter worst _now she knows I fucking like her_.

The matter was quite annoying actually, he should have just looked away and the damn figurative ball would still be in his fucking figurative yard. He would have had all the time in the world to make a perfect plan, _but no_… Hiruma didn't look away because she was angry about something so he just had to see it… _see her eyes at that very moment_ because they always spoke volumes to him. So, he was naturally caught red handed staring at her. He couldn't help it really: he always found her reactions amusing, so while his mind screamed to look away his eyes betrayed him in more ways than one.

Unbeknown to him, she would have undoubtedly won the bet about the game against Kyoshin Poseidon because that was exactly when his functional black (not so little) world was severely invaded by the goody-two-shoes manager. How hadn't he seen it? That perfect opening for a pass, it was obvious actually but somehow he just missed it. The fact she saw the opening (she was smart and useful, more smart and useful than he ever gave her credit for) wasn't as disturbing as the fact that he was the only person on the field to comprehend what she was trying to say. Damn it, why was he able to catch her drift just like that? And why to hell did it feel so good to know she had his back?

…_she had his back… _

…_and she would ask nothing in return… _

Sure that was in her job description: give him basic facts and statistics about both the game and players, but to realize the next play? Damn it, that was his job. It was the job of the damn commanding tower to read any openings and weaknesses of the other team and to use them to their fullest. He didn't think he needed it, he never fucking asked for it, but just knowing she was there watching over him without being expected or ordered to be; just being there for him? He couldn't possibly comprehend the idea. He was struck down by it, amazed at it, overwhelmed by it. He had turned to his team wickedly grinning as he decided on their follow up play, but that wasn't the only decision that was made at that time.

That indeed was the moment he decided to keep her, all of her, all for himself, no matter the cost.

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A/N: Just need to credit these awesome people who found some time to beta this for me:  
Icybluegoddessfarie & Dyaoka and lots of love to TeenageCrisis & Jisa who are still kind enough to work on following chapters

This was originally an oneshot songfic that somehow turned into multichapter story, and I gave up on the song... Don't really know what happened o_O


	2. Ch1: Something else

Warnings: A lot of spoilers so be aware

Disclaimer: I do not own anything about Eyeshield 21; this manga was made by Riichiro Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. No one is profiting from anything written in this story. It's just a fanfiction.

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The Naga champions had finally been defeated. The Devilbats had done what was thought to be impossible, even by the Ojou White Knights, whom they are about to face in the upcoming days. Hiruma sat alone in the clubroom reflecting on the game and filing away the last piece of data on the Ojou Balista that he had managed to obtain. The truth was that he had never had such a small amount of data on anything in his life, but that didn't scare him. The Devilbats tended to turn the tide after the second quarter of a game, so he would get the rest of his data by then and find a weak spot in that play.

What actually scared him occurred a few days ago. It wasn't about the amefuto because that was his playground; it was about the damn manager, about the look she had in her eyes. It was the look he knew well and had seen a million times through the course of time they'd been together. It meant she understood something…

_So she knows I like her…Why does it bother me so? _Hiruma debated on the matter more then he ever wanted or thought he would.

Of course he liked her, that much was now obvious to him. He kept her around because she was useful, he hated to admit it, but he did enjoy a clean clubhouse. Everything had its place: files were alphabetically and chronologically stored (for short periods of time until he filed them into his hack-impossible computer and burned the paper evidence). The jerseys were well patched (on that note, so was he), and his entire team was no different because she had a bloody arsenal of bandages and other medical supplies. Even the coffee she made was just the way he liked it.

_Damn woman_, messing him up like that… Hiruma even thought (for a briefest moment) to actually ask her out on a normal date, like to the movies or maybe a dinner in some fancy restaurant. _Yeah! And then we can fucking hold hands and merrily hop our way into the damn sunset! Stupid man, your idiocy level is at its fucking peak today._

Mocking himself was a brand new thing he recently developed when he was trying to think of a ways to be with her. He was used to getting things done his way and his way was to either blackmail or use the fear of possible blackmail. Neither could be used on her, not that he would ever use it for something like that, but there were other matters about her on which he would've saved his time and efforts if he just had a proper blackmail material.

All he had on her was a picture. A stupid picture of her in a cheerleader's uniform. That picture was only good for two things: for making her blush (what he managed to do on very rare occasions but teased her about it on very often occasions), and his personal favorite… Pissing. Her. Off! Sure, he could make some serious money with that picture, but he couldn't properly blackmail her into doing something out of fear of him.

_And it was quite a picture_, he thought, smirking. She was the sexiest cheerleader he had ever seen, precisely because this wasn't her thing; doing something so out of character for his goody too shoes manager. Speaking about out of character, there was also a folder in his laptop named 'gangsta onna,' a sort-of reminder for the Deimon field day.

Once again he opened 'clip 1' and watched it grinning. Hiruma would watch some short clips of that folder in order to clear his head, and obviously when the damn manager pissed him off by doing stupid things, like getting permission from the school committee to post Devilbats propaganda (even when he warned her not to do unnecessary things like that), demanding team practice break (when he was in his molesting element), which ruined all his fun, and other silly things he didn't like to bother with. The clips from that folder were somewhat sacred to him now, which is precisely why he never even threatened to blackmail her with it.

While everyone had thought he was acting especially maniacally that day (it was all just an act to get them to learn the proper bump) he was just truly fascinated by Mamori. Everything about her on that day was absolutely thrilling to him… the way she wore those clothes, _which I spent hours searching and preparing for her_, the way she acted, _hell, it was even her idea to tie up the T-shirts so we can cheat in order to scare the team some more_, the way she handled his weapons, the freaked out looks on both the teammates and schoolmates faces, even the teachers. '_Kekeke'_ one of them desperately screamed the most fitting comment "This must mean when hell freezes over!" A smirk made its way on his face as he closed the folder looking at the time and started packing his things.

_Time to visit Taiyou Sphinx vs. Hakushuu Dinosaurs match to get some fucking data_ Hiruma thought as he headed to the exit still reflecting about that field day. Never in a million years would he have anticipated her reaction once he whispered to her that day ominously: "Damn manager, fucking team needs to learn a perfect bump or their dream of Christmas bowl is history. I need to scare them shitless so you better turn evil-mode as fast as you fucking can so my plan can be set in motion."

He was both surprised and thrilled by her immediate response; taking a gun from his hands and using a yakuza word like 'obliterate'. The fucking baldy was having a ball that day, but every time the three of them were alone, so Hiruma could explain the fucking plan, she would be sad and ashamed of her behavior. Mamori didn't say a word when he showed them the clothes he prepared for their act to be convincing enough, nor did she nag once he handed her the machine gun. She was willing to forget all her morals and principals for the sake of their team and their dream of Christmas Bowl.

Not so long ago, he tricked her into joining Devilbats because he thought that somewhat smart girl might prove to be useful if he kept her around, but after seeing this he finally acknowledged her as his nakama fighting for the same goal and a full pledged Devilbats member.

"Aha-ha! Monsieur Hiruma is always the first one to arrive!"

_What the fuck?_ His thinking was abruptly interrupted by the fucking idiot who was standing at the agreed meeting point in front of stadium's West gate, spinning madly with (naturally) his leg in the air, obviously being very early. Hiruma chose not to comment on his retarded remark. There was also a "Yo" and he looked behind to see fucking old man with a finger in his ear (looking older than usual) walking up to him. The rest of the team soon joined them and they headed to find their seats.

(…)

The damn game was a complete Sphinx massacre. Dinosaurs got themselves a fucking caveman that was a serious threat. _I'll have to pull off some extra hours on the stupid thing ._His thinking was suddenly interrupted as he heard Gaou sneer "Who said that?" in a very low and a dangerous tone.

Hiruma wasn't paying attention, as he was deep in thought about the caveman problem, but then there was "Who was making fun of Banba?" He stopped listening to Gaou as he saw him charge ahead and his brain automatically switched to 'file his strength measurements' and 'strategize about the best defense play against this attack'.

_Good thing the fucking Ha-Hah bros are always on stand by and armed for situations like this_. Demolition of the fence followed next and the stupid cheerleader fell down because of the impact. _Oh, fuck it the damn manager is in sever mother-hen mode… stupid woman, this isn't your everyday bully…this is bad, so fucking bad… _

Before he was able to process anything he found himself standing in front of fucking manager armed with several stun guns that he pulled out from God-knows-where because he forgot he even had them. Things started to calm down from there, as Riku apparently saved the damn day. Hiruma later even agreed with Kid on mater that Gaou was indeed a fucking big problem to solve.

As all the fuss really started clearing out and the crowd started to leave, he tried to analyze what the hell happened a few minutes ago. '_My body moved on its own… That must be it.' __He frowned at this realization.__ Did every fucking fiber in my damn being scream at me to keep her safe? Stupid idiot, that's just plain bullshit! _Sighing, annoyed with himself, he watched his teammates quickly disappearing down the stairs that were ahead of the stand's aisle.

Trying to get rid of the stupid thoughts, one of his hands reached out to get his mobile from a pocket when a foreign hand stopped its trajectory. The hand was soft but it held his hand firmly in place although somewhat unsure. Hiruma looked threateningly at its owner who was apparently finding a damn random seat fascinating.

Mamori spoke quietly with a shaky voice, "Thank you Hiruma-kun… for protecting me…" At that her grip got a bit tighter before she let his hand go completely, smiling warmly as she rushed ahead of him to catch up with Sena and the others. Hiruma stood in place as he blew a bubble amusingly. _So we actually held hands… Why the fuck do I feel like hopping a few times? _Wondering briefly, he quickly frowned, disgusted with the idea_Stupid man! Mind the damn idiocy level!_ He scolded himself once again as he continued his way up the aisle.

OMAKE

"I. Saw. That."

Hiruma's bubble popped and he stopped in his tracks as he narrowed his eyes dangerously at Musashi who was obviously left behind.

"Fucking old man… You're thinking of weird things again, aren't you? Leave me fucking out of it" he said indifferently but, of course, his friend knew better then that.

"I know you have a thing for her, so who do you think you're fooling?" Musashi smirked smugly seeing Hiruma's eyes narrow some more.

"Tch, you're getting fucking senile on me way too early. It's disgusting!" Hiruma spat as he blew another bubble and continued his way to the exit. '_Fucking oyaji' _

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A/N: Hope you are enjoying the story so far and C&C are most welcome and appreciated.

I just need to credit my most amazing beta girls who found some time to beta this… I treasure them lovingly  
TeenageCrisis - expressions and word manipulation master & Jisa – grammar & punctuation guru

They are already working on the next chapter so I'll probably update the story faster.


	3. Ch2: Your best

**Disclaimer**: I do not own anything about Eyeshield 21, Riichiro Inagaki and Yusuke Murata do. No one is profiting from anything written in this story.

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Mamori was standing in the schoolyard putting the jerseys up to dry. There were holes in quite a few of them, so she sighed at the long day ahead of her. The game with Ojou took place a few days ago, and the team was still feeling the side effects. As she watched them go into clubroom, she noticed that some were dragging their feet in somewhat slow motion, while others were unbelievably straight and would turn their whole bodies to greet her. Some of them even appeared to be developing hunches on their backs from the inability to straighten themselves properly.

Of course, Hiruma was the only one to walk by normally with his hands in pockets sliding the door open with his foot and yelling unusually enthusiastically, "Fucking practice time." It was probably because he enjoyed the fact he was now able to torture them some more, even though they were in severe pain already.

Mamori would have smiled at this - _but that would be rude_ - so she just shook her head disapprovingly and continued to put the last jersey up. She took her time with this particular one and handled it with a bit extra care then the others because it was _his_ jersey. Finally picking up the basket, she smiled and started to make her way to the clubroom.

All of the sudden, there were some shoots fired, breaking her peaceful afternoon once again. All hell broke loose in the building as some objects were knocked over in the uproar. Some were smashed to pieces as a familiar voice echoed trough the clubroom, "Did you not hear me? I said practice time so get your asses on the fucking field ladies!"

More gunshots rang as the team started storming out in a stampede, destroying everything that was in their way. Mamori stood there, holding the clubroom door open for them and waited patiently for the all the commotion to settle before entering. Hiruma was on his way out as well, with a brand new rifle proudly on his shoulder, but hearing her coming made his ears twitch alarmingly as he prepared himself for a full frontal assault. He watched her shift in her fighting stance: a basket under one arm and her other hand setting predictably on her hip.

She realized what he was expecting: obviously another lecture on his unacceptable behavior. However, she decided against it because that was the last thing he needed, (considering the amount of stress he must be under because of the upcoming game) and they didn't have time for this now, since the team was all ready and set for practice, awaiting him outside. Therefore, she looked him in the eyes, crooking an eyebrow as she said warningly, "I'll let it slide…" her voice softening "…just this once."

Hiruma looked at her in wonder but switched to grinning immensely almost immediately "Well, well, well… fucking manager must have some early Christmas spirit in her system cause it sure feels like damn Christmas! Kekeke!"

"Oh, just go already, I'll be right behind you," she said, all but pushing him out of there herself.

He went on to join the practice so she was left in the empty clubroom; the empty, messy clubroom to be exact. There was a sigh once more when she figured she would have to clear that mess up first - all by herself. Looking around she realized that one of her archive shelves must have received a particularly hard bump since all the tapes and folders were all over the floor. Mamori started the cleaning but a tape marked "Spear Tackle" caught her eye, and it got her thinking about the day she had taped it.

(…)

The entire team was so desperate about Ojou's offence, and all the weight was set on Sena's back. Nothing could be done about it, and she was worried sick about Sena that day seeing that Shin showed no mercy in the game. She was relieved when Hiruma sent her to edit the recordings of the game, hoping she might be able to find something, anything really, that would help her little friend.

Mamori knew he sent her away to analyze the recording knowing she would definitely have the correct data on that tape. Her work was done just in time, so the team was relieved, even if it was just a little, once Hiruma told them calmly, "Anezaki and I will find a hole in this."

Surprised, she shot a look of disbelief at him, but he didn't seem to realize his mistake. He actually said her name - well surname - but a part of her full name was involved nonetheless. For the very first time she wasn't a 'fucking manager,' and she couldn't help feeling confused, but she smiled at the realization. Later, he even got her more confused when he loomed over her and used a mouse with her hand still attached to it.

Usually, he would yell something like, "Damn it onna, you're too fucking slow! Move!" or maybe, "Fucking manager! Your inability to operate a rather primitive piece of machinery will never crease to amaze me."

That time, he had severely invaded her personal space with his entire imposing presence. All Hiruma did was rewind the tape a bit, watched a small section of it once again and pressed her finger to pause it. He stayed completely motionless after that, not taking his eyes off the screen. Poor Mamori had absolutely no idea what on earth was going on since all her actions froze once his hand was on hers.

She can still vividly remember all the smells from that time… There was the minty smell of his bubblegum. Some gunpowder was mixed in too, and also a strange sweaty and woody aroma she couldn't properly place, but she found it to be quite intoxicating.

Embarrassed by her own action, she blushed noticing he too was doing some smelling of his own as she heard a sharp, bold intake of breath before he moved away to stand tall for his next move. Hearing his "Kekeke," she turned to look at him curiously as he proudly said, "There is a way." And there was hope yet again in everyone's eyes.

(…)

_Yeah, he has a way of saving __the team in the nick of time in his own ludicrous manner_, Mamori thought as she put the tape back on its place smiling at the memory. She was always true to herself and, therefore, was aware of the fact that she had liked Hiruma for quite some time now. However, to save a life, she had absolutely no clue when or why exactly she had started liking him.

His ways of dealing with things she found dangerous and absurd - _but I can't help loving that playful and trickster side of him_. She absolutely hated his bleached hair, _though it does make him look kind of cute in a scary kind of way_. And does a person really need to posses every latest manufactured weapon on the planet? _I guess some people collect things like postage stamps while he collects… oh, why am I trying to justify myself? I really do like this guy_…

So she may not had a clue when she started falling for him and his wicked ways, but after the game with Dinosaurs she was sure of one thing…

Mamori was a tough girl. She never took crap from anyone, and she never allowed herself to be intimidated by delinquents and bullies. She always stood her ground and worked her way out of the situation by talking things through and scolding the bad guy. Very rarely had the messes needed to be settled by delivering a few punches - which she did deliver, especially in order to protect Sena in their younger days.

Now, she'd be the first one to admit it. _I wasn't thinking that day_… _Getting in Gaou's way_…She saw what he would have done to Maria in that meeting that had occurred a few days ago. If Sena hadn't gotten Maria out of the way or…_if Hiruma hadn't protected me at Dinosaurs match_…She shook her head disapprovingly at possibilities.

Protecting was what she did and, according to her name, what she was. Mamori was indeed foolish to get in Gaou's way, but seeing Hiruma protect her like that made her fall deeply and utterly in love with him. What she felt for him from that point on was not just liking anymore. From that moment on it was love, as simple as that.

He may be the scariest guy Deimon High had ever had, but to her he was the only guy in this world who ever made her feel completely safe. _I guess deep down I always knew there was more to him than meets the eye… I just never thought there would be so much once you truly get to know him_. She frowned a bit at the thought and picked up the last archive folder lying on the floor.

Mamori climbed on a small chair to store the last item on the top shelf and, annoyingly, it was still too high to reach. She stood on her tiptoes, defiantly stretching her arms and moving closer to the shelf, causing the chair start swaying.

Surprised, she fought to keep her balance the best she could. Losing the battle and seeing she was headed for the floor, she closed her eyes getting ready for the inevitable impact… but… It never came. Feeling confused, she slowly opened her eye cautiously to check the air and then the other one once she realized her predicament.

_Oh great… Just great! __When did he get here?_ She wondered, irritated at the situation she found herself in. Mamori did not hear him coming, but somehow she was glad he did as she found herself safely held in his strong arms. To make the matter worse, he was holding her bridal style and staring at her with raised eyebrows and an amused smirk on his features making her think he was up to no good.

Mamori blushed, embarrassed with all the body contact, feeling warmth radiate from his practice heated body. There was an awkward smile sent his way and she looked away. She started wiggling her legs impatiently, trying to get down and away as she managed to stutter out "Tha-Thank you Hiruma-kun. You…" Her voice was a bit shaky because she was sure she would hit the floor. His decision to grip her much tighter at the movement didn't help her cool down one bit, but she tried to focus back again "You can put me down now."

Hiruma did as she asked, eying her carefully and smirking smugly all the while as he reached for the folder in question to put it back in its high place. "Kekeke! Fucking chibi's taken, so don't get any ideas damn manager." He grinned gleely realizing what happened.

Mamori glared at him, anger bubbling in her system… She didn't even like the nickname he gave her to begin with.

Noting the glare Hiruma just continued pushing her buttons. "I guess you've finally reached your peak; getting yourself lost in a fucking clubroom is what I call master stupidity. Where to hell have you been?" He mocked her shamelessly now, his grin everlasting.

That triggered all her anger and she poked him in his chest accusingly. "And whose fault is it that I was stuck in here for so long?" Mamori yelled annoyed, poking him defiantly again. "Did you not see all the mess you've made? Or did you expect it to mysteriously clear itself on its own?" Her arms flew in the air in anger.

Stubbornly, her voice kept rising as her following pokes got stronger. "And stupidity? You're the one being silly and childish for that matter! Honestly, stop doubling my work! If you keep this up, nothing will ever get done in time!" With that said, she grabbed the camcorder and marched her way furiously through the exit.

Hiruma could only smile at this, he especially enjoyed the poking, _Hell, I enjoyed that the most_… He got her so worked up that she actually dared to physically assault him… _So, she's growing bolder. Should I consider this fucking good or bad_…? he wondered, amused as he went to his locker to get the letter he prepared earlier today. That was the real reason he came back to the clubroom in the first place _but getting to have her in my grasp was a nice fucking bonus indeed,_ he smirked as he went out to join the team once again.

(…)

The practice was officially going nowhere. The team was obviously performing lousily considering the amount of pain they were in, so Mamori signaled Hiruma: _Today's data. No good. I'm off. Fix the jerseys_. He glared at her briefly but decided to let her go since that was probably the most useful thing she could do for now. Not long after she was gone he remembered the letter matter. _Oh fuck, now I will 100% get the fucking lecture that I had long coming__. _

He was initially planning to leave the letter in her care without her realizing it, but he needed her to understand how important this was for him, remind her that wining was all that mattered. So he decided to hand it personally. _Tch, might as well get it damn over with_… And with that, he went to look for her.

Mamori had already examined the jerseys but noticed her sewing kit had been left back in the main classroom, so she ran into Hiruma as she rushed to get it. He was waiting for her by the lockers, and she could tell something was wrong immediately because he wasn't the kind to leave the practice unsupervised.

(…)

Once she started her unnecessary ranting, Hiruma stayed completely silent because he had absolutely no idea how to act on it. This perfect plan of his had obviously caused her a lot of pain. He had never anticipated she would react this way or that she would care this much. Never in his life had he felt the need to console someone nor did he ever fucking want to, but seeing her like this had made him want to do something, anything really, to make her feel better.

The idea of hurting her so had never crossed his mind when he wrote the letter. Hiruma tried to play indifferent in his ignorance, but anger filled his system when he saw her rip one of the toughest decisions he ever had to make to pieces. He was outraged with her and wanted to yell senselessly at her for being that stupid, but having noticed Mamori's hands shake violently and how hard she fought to hold back tears, his voice got lost and he managed to stop himself.

Tears were slowly, but surely filling her eyes, and his anger evaporated as he watched her acting defiant once again. When she lost her battle with them, she turned away ashamed, softly saying "That's why you definitely can't get a serious injury." The tears came in such a rush, and she ran away as fast as she could, not wanting him to see her like this. She had completely lost her usual control and let her emotions got the best of her.

Once he was alone, his ears twitched managing to locate all the commotion his teammates suddenly made. _So, they fucking eavesdropped on everything__…_ Hiruma watched them rush back to their practice obviously with a new resolve: to keep their captain out of harm's way. As much as he wanted to ignore it, a strange feeling washed over him as his brain finally processed all the data. _Safe, so fucking safe_…

That was right; he was no longer alone in this battle. He finally had true comrades in his life who were genuinely concerned about him and disturbed at the notion of him being injured. They honestly cared about him. Obviously, the fucking manager cared the most so once again he wondered at his ignorance. _Is this good or a damn bad thing?_ Not finding the answer, he banged his head into the locker a few times, trying to clear his thoughts and then slowly started heading back to practice. _At least now, I can finally get some quality work done_.

TBC

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**A/N**: Credit to TeenageCrisis & Jisa, they are still kind enough to do beta reading. They are so awesome... I'm sorry for these slow updates, beta work takes a lot of time… Hope you liked this chapter, C&C people XD


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